Baltimore— Three of the Nation’s leading early childhood experts will gather on one stage tomorrow, Monday, November 30, for Maryland Family Network’s 6th Annual Sandra J. Skolnik Lecture on Early Childhood Education and Advocacy. The event runs from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sheldon Hall, 615 N. Wolfe Street in Baltimore.

The lecture begins with a 30-minute screening of ONCE UPON A TIME: When Childcare for All Wasn’t Just a Fairy Tale, part two of the PBS Raising of America Series. The film reminds us of a time when the U.S. came achingly close to obtaining childcare for all…and then let it slip away. The filmmakers pose the questions: What if all of our nation’s children had access to high-quality early care and education over the past four decades? How different would America look today? The short film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:

Walter Gilliam, PhD, Director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University,

Renée Boynton-Jarrett, MD, ScD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, and

Albert Zachik, MD, Director of the Office of Child and Adolescent Services, Mental Hygiene Administration, Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The Sandra J. Skolnik Lecture is the only event of its kind to bring together great thinkers in the fields of early care and education to present and discuss their latest research, policy, and visions for the future. The lecture series was named to honor the legacy of Sandra J. Skolnik, a visionary leader and champion for young children, their families and other caregivers. She recognized the need for high quality child care and built Maryland Committee for Children into a driving force for accessible, affordable, high quality care.

Past speakers were Harriet Meyer, Ounce of Prevention; Naomi Eisenstadt, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s lead on the Smart Start program; Commissioner Bryan Samuels, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Libby Doggett, U.S. Department of Education; and Dr. Marti Erickson, Director of the University of Minnesota Children, Youth and Family Consortium and co-host of Mom Enough.

Maryland Family Network ensures that young children and their families have the resources to succeed. To learn more visit www.marylandfamilynetwork.org or Tweet us @mdfamilynetwork.

Maryland Family Network's mission is to ensure that young children and their families have the resources to learn and succeed.